Netflix has decided to resume advertising its services on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter. This follows a temporary boycott of the social site following statements made by its owner, Elon Musk. Musk received harsh criticism for supporting and agreeing with a tweet that praised an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.
According to X estimates, Netflix canceled almost $3 million in advertisements last month, according to the New York Times. However, subsequent investigations have revealed Netflix posts promoting the flicks “Maestro” and “May December.”
Netflix is back on X after Elon Musk’s showdown
As per X estimates, Netflix canceled almost $3 million in advertising last month, according to the New York Times. It has joined Disney, Apple, IBM, and other multibillion-dollar corporations in removing advertisements from X.
Many people regarded Elon Musk’s viral article in question to be anti-Semitic, prompting the tech companies to take action. Musk responded to a post in November that claimed Jewish communities support “dialectical hatred against whites.” Musk specifically said that they had “said the actual truth.”
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, denies being anti-Semitic. He has previously stated that, “Clear calls for extreme violence are against our terms of service and will result in suspension.”
Crypto sleuths have lately discovered Netflix posts promoting the flicks “Maestro” and “May December.” Walmart, Disney, or other boycotting corporations’ advertisements are still not indicated.
On November 16, X CEO Linda Yaccarino tweeted in response to the incident, saying:
X’s point of view has always been very clear that discrimination by everyone should stop across the board — I think that’s something we can and should all agree on […] When it comes to this platform — X has also been extremely clear about our efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination. There’s no place for it anywhere in the world — it’s ugly and wrong. Full stop.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino
Musk referred to the advertising boycotts as the “greatest oppressors of your right to free speech.” On November 20, he filed a lawsuit against Media Matters. During the Times’ DealBook Summit on November 29, Musk told advertisers who had canceled ad purchases to “go f-k yourself.”
He added, “If somebody’s going to try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money. Go f–k yourself.”
Brands that have paused ads on X
At least a dozen big companies have stopped investing on X, previously Twitter, since its latest advertiser exodus began last week due to antisemitism and hate speech on Elon Musk’s social media network.
Fox Sports, Ubisoft, Axios, TechCrunch, and Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media have all told CNN that they had suspended their ad expenditure on X, joining other major advertisers who left last week.
Those calls follow Disney’s decision earlier this month to suspend its advertising on the social media platform, joining a growing list of companies such as Apple, IBM, Lionsgate, and Xfinity, in the aftermath of a damning report that found advertisements on X alongside pro-Nazi posts, and Musk’s endorsement of a widely condemned antisemitic post.
Disney’s decision to stop running advertisements on X might cost the social media platform millions of dollars, whereas X users’ demands for a boycott of Disney+ would have to reach a large proportion of its 146 million subscribers (as of August) to have an equivalent impact.
This month, IBM was one of the first high-profile advertisers to suspend its ads on the platform, following a report by left-wing watchdog Media Matters for America that found advertisements for the company, as well as Apple, Oracle, and Xfinity, near neo-Nazi posts and posts praising Adolf Hitler.
